Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • Auckland enters alert level 3 lockdown for seven days, as well as rest of the country in alert level 2 following the announcement by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern last night. It comes after a new COVID-19 case was detected with unknown origin. (NZ Herald)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Police launch the most extensive crackdown since the protests began, critically wounding a woman and detaining hundreds of people across the country. (Reuters)
  • The junta leaders fire Myanmar's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Kyaw Moe Tun after he called for their removal in a UN General Assembly meeting on Friday. (BBC)
• Kagara kidnapping
  • All 42 people, including 27 students, who were kidnapped from a boarding school in Kagara, Niger State, Nigeria, on February 17, are released by their captors. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 missile attacks in Saudi Arabia
  • Saudi Arabia intercepts a ballistic missile attack over its capital Riyadh and bomb-laden drones targeting the southern province of Jizan, both of which were conducted by Yemen's Houthi rebels backed by Iran. (ABC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • The Food and Drug Administration approves the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine for emergency use in the United States. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Wales
        • First Minister Mark Drakeford announces that Wales will ease their COVID-19 restrictions to allow households with an infant below the age of one to form a bubble with one other household. (BBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • The Italian government tightens restrictions in five regions in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. For the first time since January, Basilicata and Molise are moved into the strictest red zone, while Lombardy, Piedmont and Marche are moved to the red zone. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Romania, COVID-19 pandemic in Moldova
      • Romania donates 21,600 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to Moldova for use in their vaccination program which will begin next week with frontline health workers. (U.S. News and World Report)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong receives a shipment of 585,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. (South China Morning Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia receives their first shipment of 300,000 doses of the Sinovac Coronavac vaccine. (New Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
      • The Palestinian National Authority announces new lockdown restrictions in the West Bank for the next 12 days, which include the closure of universities, a ban on gatherings for weddings and funerals and nighttime restrictions on travel and non-essential commerce. (The New York Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The government extends the General Community Quarantine in Metro Manila, Davao City, and eight other areas until the end of March due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (ABS-CBN News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nebraska
      • Nebraska reports their first case of California's B.1.429 variant in a man in his 60s in Lancaster County. (Lincoln Journal Star)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19-related restrictions in Victoria are eased in line with the rest of Australia after a recent outbreak was contained. Private gatherings of up to 30 people and public gatherings of up to 100 people are allowed, masks will only be mandated in shopping centres and on public transport, and offices are allowed to return up to 75% of their workforce. (7 News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South Africa receives their second shipment of more than 80,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. (News24)

Law and crime

• Corruption in Indonesia
  • Indonesia's anti-corruption agency arrests South Sulawesi Governor Nurdin Abdullah and several other people for alleged corruption in Makassar. Abdullah's arrest came as a surprise to many with his track record as an anti-corruption champion. (Jakarta Globe)
• Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan Province has reported internet outages in the past week, following a series of violent clashes between protestors and the police. (Voice of America)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Armenian coup d'état attempt, 2020−2021 Armenian protests
  • Armenian President Armen Sarksyan refuses an order from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to dismiss the military's Chief of the General Staff Onik Gasparyan, saying parts of the decree were in violation of the constitution. More than 15,000 protest in the capital Yerevan calling for Pashinyan to resign. (ABC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis
  • Iran–Israel proxy conflict
    • An explosion hits the Israeli-owned cargo ship MV Helios Ray in the Gulf of Oman. No injuries are reported among the ship's 28 crew members. Israeli media reports, citing unnamed Israeli government officials, that Iran was likely behind the blast. (Bloomberg)
• Zamfara kidnapping
  • At least 317 girls are kidnapped by armed bandits raiding a secondary school hostel in the Nigerian state of Zamfara. (Al Jazeera)
• 2019–2021 Iraqi protests
  • Security forces open fire against a crowd of demonstrators during anti-government protests in Nasiriyah, Iraq, killing 3 people and wounding 47 others. Two other protestors have also been killed in the past few days. (Al Jazeera)
• War in Donbass
  • Ukraine reports 10 ceasefire violations in the Luhansk region. (Unian)
• Batwa–Luba clashes
  • An NGO vice-president met with 70 members of the Twa and Bantu in Nyunzu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, to ensure lasting peace in the Nyunzu Territory. (Radio Okapi)
• Ituri conflict
  • Claude Ibalanky, the coordinator of the National Monitoring Mechanism of the Addis Ababa Agreement (MNS) revealed at a workshop organized by the MNS and MONUSCO in Kinshasa, that there are people in Kinshasa taking advantage of the instability in eastern Congo. (Radio Okapi)
• Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
  • The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) kill three civilians in an ambush on the Beni-Kasindi road. Congolese and MONUSCO troops positioned nearby then clashed with the ADF, forcing them to retreat. (Radio Okapi)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
    • The United States House of Representatives votes 219-212 to pass U.S. President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion relief package, which would provide $1,400 in direct payments. The bill will head to the Senate for a vote. (CNET)
• Aftermath of the GameStop short squeeze
  • The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission temporarily halts the trading of 15 stocks, most of which are penny stocks, out of concern that online users were coordinating to artificially raise their value. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

• A small plane crashes in Gainesville, Georgia, U.S., killing three people. (Yahoo! News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Nebraska
        • Nebraska reports their first case of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant in a person from Douglas County. (Lincoln Journal Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • Health Canada authorizes the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine and a related vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India. (CTV News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong begins administering vaccines to the general public with the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • The Indian government announces that people can choose their COVID-19 vaccination centres when the vaccination campaign expands next week. This will allow people to choose whether they want to receive the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine or the Bharat Biotech vaccine. (Zee News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin issues a new regulation that authorises a mutual assistance vaccine programme so that private companies can buy state-approved vaccines in order to vaccinate their staff. (Tempo.co)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea begins a mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine, with the first doses administered to residents at about 200 nursing homes across the country. (Nikkei Asia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam approves the emergency use of the American Moderna and Russian Sputnik V vaccines. (dpa International)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium
      • Belgium announces that easing of major COVID-19-related restrictions will be put on hold for another week due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 infections and the spread of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • The Chamber of Deputies passes a new pandemic law that allows the health ministry and local authorities to shut down trade, production facilities, and events. In turn, the government announces the new state of emergency from February 27 until March 28. (Politico.eu)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
      • Authorities in Greater Helsinki order the closure of public and private facilities, such as gyms, indoor sports venues, saunas, playgrounds and swimming pools for two weeks beginning March 1 as part of measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Yle)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
      • Slovenia reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa in a person from Maribor who recently travelled to Africa. (STA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • The Spanish health ministry announces that people under 55 who have already been infected with COVID-19 will be given just a single dose of the vaccine, six months after their infection. (The Local Spain)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
      • Argentinian Health Minister Carla Vizzotti tests positive for COVID-19. (El Día)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
      • Brasília enters a 24-hour lockdown for all non-essential services due to an increase in COVID-19 cases that has pushed the city's intensive care units to near full capacity with more than 80% of beds already occupied. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Ivory Coast
    • Ivory Coast becomes the second country to receive coronavirus vaccines via the COVAX initiative, with 500,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India arriving in the country. (Africanews)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea
    • Papua New Guinea reports a record 89 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,228. (France 24)

International relations

• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • Myanmar's Ambassador to the United Nations Kyaw Moe Tun addresses the UN in New York, calling for the international community to take the "strongest possible action" to remove the military junta from power. (France 24)

Law and crime

• Begum v Home Secretary
  • The UK Supreme Court rules that ISIL supporter Shamima Begum is forbidden from returning to the United Kingdom to appeal the revocation of her citizenship. This overturns the decision by the Court of Appeal, citing four errors in their ruling. (CNN)
• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • The Federal Bureau of Investigation has reportedly identified a suspect in connection to the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick during the storming of the U.S. Capitol last month. (CNN)
• 2021 Croix-des-Bouquets jailbreak
  • Arnel Joseph, a powerful Haitian gang leader, is killed in a gun battle with police in L'Estère a day after escaping from prison during a riot. The death toll from the incident rise to a total of 25 people, including many civilians killed by the inmates after randomly opening fire in the streets. The prison's director, six inmates and police officers are among the dead. Sixty more prisoners who escaped are captured and arrested, while more than 200 others are still on the run. (BBC)
• The Biden administration releases a previously classified intelligence report on the assassination of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, confirming that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman had approved of the assassination. (New York Times)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Yemeni Civil War
  • Ma'rib Campaign, 2021 Ma'rib ballistic missile attacks
    • Houthi forces attack Ma'rib, with ballistic missiles amid an ongoing offensive to capture the city. (Al Arabiya English)
• Boko Haram insurgency
  • 2021 Kaduna and Katsina attacks
    • Gunmen kill 36 people, wound several others and burn down houses when they attack two villages in Kaduna and Katsina States, Nigeria. Several attackers are killed during an air operation by security forces. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 Armenian coup d'état attempt, 2020−2021 Armenian protests
  • Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warns of an attempted military coup against him after the army demands that he and his government resign. In response, Pashinyan dismisses the head of the general staff of the armed forces and calls on his supporters to rally in his support. (Reuters)
• Central African Republic Civil War
  • At least 14 people are killed at a religious site in Bambari, Central African Republic, amid clashes between armed groups and security forces. (Al Jazeera)
• Mali War
  • Nine soldiers are killed and nine others are wounded during a long exchange of fire with armed groups in Bandiagara, Mali. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Pro-military counter-protesters attack anti-coup protesters during a rally against the military junta in Yangon. Some counter-protesters were armed with knives and clubs, while others used slingshots and threw stones to attack their opponents. (Voice of America)
• 2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis
  • At U.S. President Joe Biden's direction, the U.S. military launches airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia group Kata'ib Hezbollah's structures in Abu Kamal, Syria, killing 17 Popular Mobilization Forces militants. The airstrikes are described as retaliation for a recent rocket strike in Erbil, Iraq, which left two people dead and 13 others wounded, including American military personnel. (Al Jazeera)
• Ituri conflict
  • Seven civilians are killed by CODECO militiamen in Banyari Kilo sector, Djugu Territory, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Radio Okapi)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia
      • The government confirms that bars, cafés and restaurants can reopen their outdoor terraces on March 1. (The Dubrovnik Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
      • Cyprus announces that it will allow high schools, gyms, and indoor sports facilities such as swimming pools to reopen on March 1 as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to decrease. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • The Czech Republic reports their first cases of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa in a group of people who travelled to Zanzibar. (Radio Prague International)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
      • Prime Minister Sanna Marin announces "tier-two" lockdown restrictions for the next three weeks, which includes the closure of bars and restaurants, expanded remote learning, and a ban on gatherings of more than six people beginning March 8 due to the spread of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant. (Yle)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Hungary extends their nationwide lockdown restrictions until March 15 due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and the spread of variants of SARS-CoV-2. (Hungary Today)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Ireland reports its first case of the B.1.525 variant first detected in Nigeria. (Independent.ie)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bahrain
      • Bahrain becomes the first country to approve the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine for emergency use. It is also the fifth vaccine to be approved in the country. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • The National Medical Products Administration grants conditional approval for a single-dose vaccine made by CanSino Biologics and a vaccine made by Sinopharm. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
      • Sri Lanka receives 500,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine from India. (The Hindu)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Syria
      • Syria's health ministry confirms that the government has received COVID-19 vaccines from an unnamed "friendly country", adding that healthcare workers will be the first to be vaccinated beginning next week. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria
    • Algeria reports their first two cases of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant in a healthcare worker from Algiers and a person who travelled to France. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina receives the first shipment of 904,000 doses of Sinopharm's BBIBP-CorV vaccine. (Buenos Aires Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Belize
    • Belize reports their first case of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant in a member of the British Army Training Support Unit Belize who has been infected with this variant. (Breaking Belize News)
• 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
  • Afghanistan reports an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu on a poultry farm in Herat Province. (Hindustan Times)
• Western Cape reports their first case of African Swine Fever at two small farms in Mfuleni, Eerste River in Cape Town, South Africa. (News24)

International relations

• India–Pakistan relations
  • India and Pakistan issue a joint statement indicating that both sides agree to stop firing at each other at the disputed Line of Control border in Kashmir. (DW)
• Uyghur genocide, China–Netherlands relations
  • The Dutch House of Representatives votes to recognize the Chinese government's treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority as genocide, becoming the first European Union country to do so. (Reuters)
• The governing body of the International Civil Aviation Organization appoints Juan Carlos Salazar of Colombia as the new Secretary-General of the Organization succeeding Fang Liu of China. (ICAO)

Law and crime

• LGBT rights in Malaysia, Judiciary of Malaysia
  • The Federal Court, in a landmark decision, unanimously declares that Selangor's sharia law provision on "unnatural sex" is invalid and unconstitutional, as such offences fall under the jurisdiction of federal law. (Malay Mail) (CNA)
• Tax returns of Donald Trump
  • Former United States President Donald Trump's tax returns are given to New York County District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. (ABC News)
• USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal
  • Former USA Gymnastics coach John Geddert dies from suicide by self-inflicted gunshot wound off Interstate 96 in Michigan, shortly after being charged with human trafficking and sexual assault of a minor. (BBC)
• 2021 Croix-des-Bouquets jailbreak
  • Notable gang leader Arnel Joseph and other detainees escape from prison in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, during a riot which result in the death of eight people inside the jail, including the prison's director. Casualties are also reported in the city's streets. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• LGBT rights in the United States
  • The United States House of Representatives votes to pass the Equality Act. The bill will now head to the Senate for a vote. (NBC News)

Science and technology

• Facebook bans all accounts related to Myanmar's military, the Tatmadaw, as well as ads from military-controlled companies following the military coup against Aung San Suu Kyi and the military seizure of power on February 1. (CBS News)

Sports

• 2020 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
  • Despite losing the last match 2–1 to São Paulo, Flamengo wins their seventh Brasileirão and eighth national championship overall. (UOL)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Boko Haram insurgency
  • 2021 Maiduguri rocket attacks
    • Boko Haram militants fire a series of rockets in Maiduguri, Borno, Nigeria, killing 10 civilians and wounding others. (BBC)

Arts and culture

• Africanization
  • The South African city of Port Elizabeth is formally renamed “Gqeberha” (), the Xhosa name for the Baakens River which flows through the city. Port Elizabeth International Airport is also renamed Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport, after David Stuurman. These name changes are part of a wider campaign to remove colonial and apartheid-era names in the Eastern Cape. (BBC)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan
      • The cabinet extends the curfew to 10 p.m. , and orders all businesses to close at 9 p.m. local time beginning tomorrow due to the spread of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant. The cabinet also reimposes a Friday lockdown. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Director-General of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah receive their first doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine as the country officially begins its national immunisation programme. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan lifts their COVID-19-related restrictions, allowing indoor dining and wedding ceremonies to resume on March 15. Time limits for shopping centres, markets, and amusement parks are also lifted. (Geo News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand receives their first shipment of 200,000 doses of the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam receives their first shipment of 117,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine from South Korea. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • The government announces the easing of national COVID-19 restrictions, with shops reopening on March 1. Schools in some areas will also reopen on March 1, but with classes at 50% capacity. (The Local Denmark)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • Health Minister Olivier Véran announces that the government will impose a weekend lockdown in Dunkirk beginning this weekend due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 infections. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
      • The Polish Health Ministry bans the use of scarves, bandanas and face shields and requires people to only wear surgical masks as of February 27 due to the spread of variants of SARS-CoV-2. (Poland In)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland
      • The government announces that it will allow non-essential shops, museums and outdoor sporting facilities to reopen on March 1 as part of an easing of social distancing restrictions. In addition, outdoor gatherings up to 15 people will also be allowed. (Bloomberg)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt
      • Egypt grants emergency use authorization for Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (PR Newswire)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana
      • Ghana becomes the first country in the world to receive vaccines distributed through the COVAX initiative, with 600,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (The Washington Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Alaska
      • Alaska governor Mike Dunleavy tests positive for COVID-19 following a brief period of isolation after suspected exposure. (The Hill)
      • Alaska reports their first case of the Lineage P.1 variant first detected in Brazil in a person from Anchorage with no known travel history. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in California
      • California surpasses 50,000 deaths of COVID-19, becomes the first U.S. state to do so. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Idaho
      • Idaho reports their first case of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant in a person from Ada County. (Idaho Press)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina
      • North Carolina governor Roy Cooper announces that some stay-at-home and curfew restrictions will be lifted on February 26, such as allowing bars to reopen indoors, increasing the number of people in gatherings, and extending the alcohol sale cutoff to 11:00 p.m. (The News & Observer)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
      • Mayor of Washington D.C. Muriel Bowser's sister, Merica Bowser, dies from COVID-19 as it surpasses 1,000 total deaths. (USA Today)
    • COVID-19 vaccine
      • Johnson & Johnson's single-shot COVID-19 vaccine candidate meets the standards for emergency use authorization, according to analysis from a committee within the FDA, though formal authorization will not be determined until February 26. The vaccine is 66% effective in combating the virus and can be stored in normal refrigerators. (CNN)
  • COVID-19 vaccine, Variants of SARS-CoV-2
    • Moderna announces that they will ship their vaccine candidate for testing against the 501.V2 variant that originated in South Africa. (Time)

International relations

• Nicolás Maduro's government declares European Union Ambassador to Venezuela Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa a persona non grata and gives her 72 hours to leave the country following new sanctions by the EU against 19 Venezuelan officials. (El Mundo)

Law and crime

• Assassination of Luca Attanasio
  • Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi asks the United Nations and the UN World Food Programme to open an investigation into the attack that killed Italian ambassador Luca Attanasio and two other people. (AP)
• Drug policy of Germany
  • Authorities in Germany and Belgium seize more than 23,000 kilograms (50,700 pounds) of cocaine, worth billions of dollars, in an international operation that resulted in one arrest. Authorities consider this to be the largest amount of cocaine ever seized in Europe. The containers came on a ship from Paraguay, via Tangier and Rotterdam, the police said. (CNN)
• Philippine drug war, PNP–PDEA shootout
  • A mishandled sting operation between the national police and the country's drug enforcement agency in Quezon City results in the deaths of two police officers following a shootout between the two parties. (CNN)

Science and technology

• Scientists discover Dzharatitanis kingi, a Diplodocus-like dinosaur fossil, in Uzbekistan. It is the first dinosaur of its kind to be discovered in Asia. (New Scientist)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Kivu conflict
  • Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
    • Suspected ADF militants kill 13 people during two attacks in Beni, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• Historical Memory Law
  • The last statue of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in Spain is removed in Melilla. (El País)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota
        • The North Dakota House votes 50–44 to pass House Bill 1323, which bans state and local officials from imposing mask mandates. (Grand Forks Herald)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington (state)
        • Washington reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa in King County. (The Seattle Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan
        • Saskatchewan reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa in two people from the Regina zone who tested positive for COVID-19 at the end of January. (CKCK-DT)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland
        • Northern Ireland reports their first three cases of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa. (The Irish Times)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
        • First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announces a roadmap to ease the lockdown, with four people from two households being allowed to meet outdoors as of March 15 and the lifting of the stay-at-home order on April 5. Non-essential businesses such as bars, restaurants and gyms can be reopened on April 26 and Scotland will return to the levels system at the same time. (BBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • Former president Václav Klaus tests positive for COVID-19. (Aktuálně.cz)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy raises the age limit for Oxford–AstraZeneca's vaccine to 65 years old from previously 55. (The Local Italy)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • Prime Minister Mark Rutte extends the curfew until March 15 while easing some lockdown restrictions, with senior high schools and vocational schools reopening on March 1. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Taoiseach Micheál Martin announces the phased reopening of schools beginning on March 1 with junior and senior infants as well as senior students facing Leaving Certificate exams. Meanwhile, the government extends the level 5 lockdown restrictions until April 5. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in San Marino
      • San Marino receives their first shipment of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • Ukraine receives their first shipment of 500 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. (RFE/RL)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan
      • Afghanistan begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 following the WHO's emergency use approval of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh receives their second shipment of two million doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute of India. (All India Radio)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Oman, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Oman announces a ban on all travellers from 10 countries for 15 days beginning February 25 with the exception of Omani citizens, diplomats and health workers. (Gulf Business)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt
      • Egypt receives 300,000 doses of China's Sinopharm vaccine. (Asharq Al-awsat)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Senegal
      • Senegal begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using 200,000 doses of China's Sinopharm vaccine. Government ministers and health workers are the first to receive the vaccine. (U.S. News and World Report)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Suriname
    • Suriname begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using a small number of vaccine doses donated by Barbados. (Reuters)
• Guinea begins a vaccination campaign against Ebola for high-risk people in Gouecke, Nzérékoré Prefecture, as an emergency measure to reduce the spread of the virus that was detected for the first time since 2016. (WHO Regional Office for Africa)

International relations

• Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
  • Iran says that it is restricting the access of international inspectors to its nuclear installations. (AP via Al Arabiya)

Law and crime

• Crime in Italy
  • A man stabs and wounds two police officers and tries to stab two passersby, who escape unharmed, during a random stabbing rampage in Milan. The attacker is shot dead by police. (Milano Today)
• At least 79 inmates are killed in simultaneous fights in three jails in Ecuador, prompted by a battle for control of the jails after a gang leader was killed in December. (BBC)
• Malaysia deports 1,086 Burmese citizens back to Myanmar, defying an order by the Kuala Lumpur High Court halting their deportation in light of the coup on February 1. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• News Media Bargaining Code
  • Facebook unblocks Australian news pages after the Australian government offers to make it exempt from their new News Media Bargaining Code if Facebook, Inc. can form enough private agreements to pay Australian news companies for their content. (The Guardian)

Sports

• U.S. golfer Tiger Woods is involved in a serious car accident in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, sustaining multiple leg injuries, requiring surgery. (CNN)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Assassination of Luca Attanasio
  • Six gunmen open fire on a World Food Programme convoy in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing Italian ambassador Luca Attanasio, a carabiniere and their driver. (The Guardian)
• Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Four female development workers are killed and their driver wounded when gunmen open fire on their vehicle in Mira Ali, North Waziristan, Pakistan. (Al Jazeera)
• Rwandan opposition politician Seif Bamporiki is killed in his car by a single bullet fired by a gunman in Cape Town, South Africa, where he lived in exile. (BBC)

Arts and culture

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema, COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state), COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
  • New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that movie theatres in New York City can reopen with 25% capacity on March 5, in line with rules currently in place for locations in the rest of the state. (CNBC)
• French electronic music duo Daft Punk announce their split after 28 years. (The New York Times)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a new four-step plan for easing lockdown restrictions in England, starting with the reopening of schools on March 8 and the lifting of the stay-at-home order on March 29. (ABC Australia)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
        • Students in P1 to P3 return to school in Scotland for the first time since the Christmas holiday as part of a phased school reopening. (BBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • French authorities announce that 90% of residents in the southeastern region of Alpes-Maritimes, which includes Nice, will be placed under a weekend lockdown for the next two weeks following an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
      • Elementary students and pre-school children in more than half of Germany's 16 states return to schools and kindergartens in the first major easing of restrictions since December. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy extends their ban on non-essential travel between regions with the exception of business trips and emergencies until March 27 due to the spread of COVID-19 infections. (The Brussels Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
        • The White House orders United States flags to fly at half-staff for the next five days in order to honor those who have died from COVID-19. (The Independent)
      • The United States surpasses 500,000 deaths from COVID-19, just five weeks after the country passed 400,000 deaths. (CBS News) (NPR)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexico receives the first shipment of 200,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine. (VOA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Maharashtra
        • Maharashtra imposes a ban on all political, social and religious gatherings as well as all processions and public demonstrations in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Business Today)
      • India surpasses 11 million cases of COVID-19, becoming the second country to do so after the United States. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Chief Executive Carrie Lam and other government officials receive their first doses of the Sinovac Biotech CoronaVac vaccine as Hong Kong begins its vaccination campaign. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines approves the emergency use of the Sinovac Biotech CoronaVac vaccine for non-healthcare workers. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
      • Sri Lanka surpasses 80,000 cases of COVID-19. (Ada Derana)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand's Food and Drug Administration grants emergency use authorization for the Sinovac Biotech CoronaVac vaccine. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Somalia
    • Somalia closes all schools and universities for the next two weeks due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi begins new clinical trial of their protein-based vaccine candidate and aim to reach the final testing stage in the second quarter after setback last year. (CNBC)
  • Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    • The Vatican Press Office announces that all journalists to accompany Pope Francis on his March trip to Iraq must receive a Covid vaccination. Certificates of vaccination are required for reporters seeking press credentials for the trip. (Catholic Culture)

International relations

• Uyghur genocide, Canada–China relations
  • Canada's House of Commons approves a motion by 266 to zero votes, formally recognizing that China is committing genocide against its Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang. However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and most of his Cabinet did not participate in the vote. An amendment to the bill also calls for the 2022 Winter Olympics to be moved from Beijing if the genocide continues. (The Globe and Mail)
• Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama urges the leaders of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Kiribati and Palau to reconsider their decision of leaving the Pacific Islands Forum and says that this is an opportunity to fight climate change. Bainimarama also invites U.S. President Joe Biden to the next forum meeting in August. (RNZ)

Law and crime

• Cannabis in the United States
  • Cannabis in New Jersey
    • Enabling legislation for Public Question 1 is signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy, making New Jersey the 14th state to legalize recreational cannabis. (NBC News)
• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • A general strike begins in Myanmar despite warnings by the Tatmadaw that further confrontations could cost lives. (DW)
• Gambling in Australia
  • The Victoria State Government establishes a royal commission into Crown Melbourne after New South Wales revoked Crown Resorts' gambling license over money laundering concerns. (The Guardian)
• Legal affairs of Donald Trump
  • The United States Supreme Court, by a 7–2 vote, declines to block the subpoena of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. for former President Donald Trump's financial records, including his tax returns. (CNN)